Bathroom remodels can vary in the length of time they take to complete, and many factors must be accounted for in order to come up with an estimated timeline. To help you determine how long your bathroom remodel might take, here is a sample timeline:
The pre-construction phase – typically takes between 1 and 2 weeks
This is the initial phase of any bathroom remodel, and it’s made up of a series of steps detailed below:
Selecting an experienced contractor
Hiring a general contractor helps to avoid any confusion when dealing with multiple contractors; just make sure to select one who has plenty of experience with remodeling bathrooms.
Signing the contract and obtaining city permits
Once you’ve chosen a general contractor, they will take care of gaining all the necessary permits required to conform to relevant building codes – note that the time to gain these can vary according to the various departments and offices being dealt with.
Bill of materials
Your chosen contractor will prepare a list of possible materials for you both to discuss while waiting for the permits to come through, and together, you can decide upon which will be most appropriate to use according to your taste and budget.
Notify the neighbors
The final step of the pre-construction phase is to notify your neighbors of the upcoming work, so that they can be prepared for any noise or inconvenience that may arise as the project progresses.
The construction phase – typically takes between 3 and 6 weeks
Now it’s time for the demolition work to begin! This is when you can start imagining your newly transformed bathroom:
Out with the old, in with the new!
In this initial phase of the demolition, your old bathroom will be ripped out ready for the new one to be fitted.
Plumbing and electrical work
For a full bathroom remodel, new plumbing and electricals are a must – at this stage in the project, the plumbers and electricians will work their magic to ensure that everything functions properly.
City inspection and signing off of permits
The building work will need to be inspected by the relevant authorities to verify that it meets all codes, and similar to gaining the permits, this can put a hold on any construction work – however, it is a necessary stage of the project.
Flooring and structure
Once you have approval that work can continue, your general contractor and their team will start addressing the walls, flooring and connections.
Installing the tub, toilet, and sink
The tub/shower (or both), sink and toilet will need to be installed at this stage.
Decorating and touching up the bathroom
In this, the last phase of the project, you can finalize the décor and add any finishing touches as you see fit.
Post-construction phase– typically takes up to a week
There are just a couple of final steps left at this stage, before the remodel is complete:
Cleaning up
Whether you hire a general contractor who has agreed to perform a professional clean-up once all work has finished, or whether you tackle it yourself, getting the bathroom clean and tidy will enable you to start using it as soon as possible.
With a general contractor experienced in renovations, and a bit of luck on your side, your bathroom remodel could be complete and ready to use in just over a month. However, do be prepared for it to take longer (in some instances, 3 months or more) and try to plan for all eventualities as best you can.